Celebrating Passover as Christians with Susie Hawkins

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 NLT)

How do we reconcile fairness in a world that is unjust and broken? I always tell my kids, fair does not mean equal. We cant make everything fair in the world because fairness is how we are treated individually and everyones wants, situations, and abilities are different. Justice goes deeper than fairness. Justice is about what we deserve and we all deserve the same things. 

In the Bible, justice means everyonethe poor, the widows, the orphans, the immigrants, are cared for just like everyone else. 

Scripture calls us to care for these people, but that might seem really abstract to kids. So, we can teach our kids that seeking justice means including the kid with learning differences in class projects. Making sure the lonely kid is invited to the party. And it can mean standing up for what is right when someone is being wronged, bullied, or picked on. Actively seeking justice looks like our kids being a peacemaker instead of a peacekeeper and sometimes that is hard! But we are promised that the peacemakers will be called sons and daughters of God! 

This week, lets pray that our kids share Gods heart for others in the way they treat people around them. Lets pray that our kids hearts break for what breaks Gods and that they see injustice in the world and have the courage and faith to stand up to it.

God, I pray that _______________ will see what is right, love what is right, and humbly do what is right in your name. In an unjust world, I pray that _____________ will seek justice in all situations. When they see someone being mistreated, give them the courage to step in. When they see the opportunity to help, give them the ability to do so. I pray that as they grow they see injustices beyond their small communities and in the greater world and do what is in their power to right them. Amen.

https://churchonthemove.com/pursuing-justice

They are back! Sissy Goff and David Thomas are back to equip us with 3 core needs for every kid. They are always so encouraging and so very practical. The work they have done in their counseling offices has helped thousands of parents just like me. I cling to their perspective and biblical encouragement. 

We talk about our kids need for resilience, courage and relationship. We also talk about the health benefits for your kids when they have a dog. I couldn't agree more and I was the most anti-dog person in our family until we got our dog. And if you want to go watch this one on YouTube - youll see a cute appearance by Sissys dog, Patches.

My favorite part was when they shared about our kids need for connection more than correction. I am so guilty of critiquing my kids and I can see their little faces sink when I do that. This is a huge reminder for us all to fight for connection instead of staying stuck in a loop of critique. What would the little kid in you want from your parents? Lets stay alert this week and catch ourselves when we lead with criticism. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

• Health benefits of kids having a dog
• Resilience and taking healthy risks 
• How to speak courage into the lives of our kids
• How to prioritize relationships 

Enjoy!

Courtney 

(02:59) Core Needs for Kids: The Importance of Dogs

(06:04) The Role of Courage in Child Development

(12:01) Healthy Risk Taking in Children

(17:59) Building Relationships and Social Skills

(23:57) Conclusion and Resources for Parents

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess 

Courtney DeFeo

Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith

Resources from todays show:

Connect with Sissy and David

Daystar Counseling 

Daystar dogs - new books Owen Learns He Has What It Takes and Lucy Learns to Be Brave

Anxious Generation

Moms, Dads, and Grads Gift Guide

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32)

Compassion literally means to suffer together. It means that we see someones pain or needs and we want to help them. 

Jesus shows compassion over and over through scripture. We dont need to be afraid of stepping into someones suffering with them. Entering into that does not mean we take on their burdens or pain, it means we offer relief and love in any way we can. But no matter how we can help others or how others can help us, Jesus is always overflowing with compassion and with us in all our sufferings. 

This week, lets pray that our kids share compassion with others. Lets ask God to give them the eyes to see the needs around them and the compassion to move to action.

Jesus, help us to be more and more like you every day. I pray that _____________ grows to be filled with compassion. May their hearts overflow with compassion, just like yours does, when they see needs around them. May they step into the suffering of others knowing that you are there too. Amen.

Get your printed copy of A Life of Faith: Prayer Journal

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Get ready to laugh! We all need some more Melissa Radkes in our lives. Melissa is not just funny - shes a mom that is immensely talented. Shes a best-selling author, speaker and television personality. She reminds me of Seinfeld in the ways she observes everyday life and finds the amusement in it all.

I dont know about you, but I need to have moments in my everyday life to simply lighten up and enjoy it. This episode will allow you to pause and enjoy a chat about all things women. She shares the most hysterical stories about growing up in the South while also sharing heartfelt thoughts on her journey as a mom. She is simply delightful! 

Dont miss her heartfelt and honest encouragement about learning to accept who you are. She is at a point in her life where she feels settled in her body and personality. However, there was a season when she prayed to be someone else. I pray that last little bit will encourage you in a deep way. Let the truth of what she says sink into your heart that the God who created you loves exactly who you are.

Much love,

Courtney 

Chapters

(03:01) Navigating Life in Texas

(05:51) Graduation and College Preparations

(08:56) The Importance of Female Friendships

(12:02) The Impact of Women in Our Lives

(14:56) Preparing for College Life

(17:58) Facing Loneliness in College

(18:16) Shared Experiences and Humor in Childhood

(20:21) Nostalgic Family Memories and Food Traditions

(23:51) The Role of Food in Family Dynamics

(26:18) Finding One's Identity and Acceptance

(30:01) Embracing Authenticity and Personal Growth

(32:53) The Joy of Laughter and Connection

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess 

Courtney DeFeo

Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith

Resources from todays show:

Connect with Melissa Radke 

Chicken-Fried Women - Melissas new book 

Moms, Dads and Grads Gift Guide

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too (Mark 11:25 NLT)

Forgiveness is an art. We coach our kids to forgive others by modeling confession and forgiveness ourselves and by using their sibling conflicts as examples, but it takes a long time and a lot of patience. Few things are as frustrating as one child giving an apathetic, Im sorry paired with an eye roll.

But forgiveness is so important because it is one of the main themes of the gospel and its such a powerful way to share Gods love and grace with the people around us. Just as Christ forgave us of our sins, we must forgive others! James 2:17 goes so far as to tell us that faith without deeds is deadmeaning faith that does not produce good fruit is not faith at all. So if we claim to follow Jesus, we must follow his example of forgiving others! So it is really important that our kids learn to forgive others well. 

God made forgiveness an important command and the cool thing is, he did not do it haphazardly. Forgiving others releases us from grudges and resentment, but forgiveness is also good for your mental and physical health! I love the way God cares for us so intentionally! Luckily, we dont have to forgive on our own. We can ask God for strength to help us forgive others, the way that he has forgiven us. 

This week, lets pray that our kids will generously forgive others and reconcile broken relationships. 

Lord, I pray that ____________sees forgiveness and reconciliation at home and learns to do it well. May they experience a holy unrest when they sin, may they freely confess, and seek to reconcile. When others offend them, may they be quick to forgive and offer mercy. I pray they are a model of forgiveness within their friend groups so that they can show Christs example of forgiveness and grace to those around them. Amen.

Get your printed copy of A Life of Faith: Prayer Journal

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org